Adam Rickitt, a British singer and actor, recently opened up about his struggles with bulimia on a reality show in the UK in an effort to raise awareness about eating disorders and encourage those struggling with them to come forward and seek help. Rickett—who was a popular entertainer in the 90s, starring in soap opera "Coronation Street" and performing in 5th Story, a boy band—began his struggles with eating when he was a teenager.

For Rickitt, it took many years to come out with his problems and seek treatment, mainly because he was afraid of the stigma that would surround him as a boy who was bulimic.

"My school had never had a case of a boy having an eating disorder," he said while appearing on the UK reality show "The Big Reunion," about his efforts to reunite former members of 5th Story. "Everybody knew, but they didn't know how to deal with it. And I felt so embarrassed to say anything, I was scared that nobody else understood."

There's certainly a lot of truth to what Rickitt says—eating disorders are often associated with women, so much so that many men are afraid to admit to themselves and others that they have a problem. What's particularly interesting about the actor's case, however, is the fact that he was unable to identify the source of the depression that lead him to become bulimic.

This is often an issue that those struggling with eating disorders must deal with. That is why the male eating disorders program at Fairwinds Treatment Center, lead by Dr. Pauline Powers, takes a dual diagnosis approach. Rather than simply addressing the disorder itself, we try to focus on the underlying causes of you or your family member's bulimia or anorexia. This approach ensures that once you have overcome your eating disorder, you'll be less likely to experience the same problems in the future. For more information, give us a call today at (800) 226-0301 or send us a message on our contact page.